News

Upscale brands are grabbing the attention of holiday procrastinators.   Three in 10 shoppers are still scrambling to finish holiday shopping, according to the National Retail Federation, and many are jumping online in search of their perfect, albeit “last minute” holiday gifts.   

Ikea stores are so inviting that some teens want to spend the night.   Ten of the Swedish home furnishing giant’s stores across the world have been the location of illegal sleepovers, BBC News reported.   

Dollar sales for holiday 2016 are trending lower than last year — with some exceptions — and retailers are partially to blame.   According to The NPD Group’s weekly point-of-sale results for key general merchandise categories across in-store and online channels, dollar sales in the sixth week of the 2016 holiday shopping season  were 5% lower than the same week in 2015. Cumulatively, dollar sales in the first six weeks of the 2016 holiday shopping season were 4% behind the first six weeks of the 2015 holiday season.

Just in time for holiday entertaining, BJ’s Wholesale Club members can now place deli and bakery orders online.   The service, which augments BJ’s e-commerce program, enables members to place orders for deli platters, sandwiches and 3-ft. subs, freshly baked cookies, pastries and customizable cakes and cupcakes. All merchandise is provided by Wellsley Farms, according to the retailer’s website.  

Finish Line missed analyst estimates for third quarter earnings, an issue the company blames on declines in its apparel and accessories categories.   The athletic specialty retailer reported revenue of $371.1 million for the 13 weeks ended Nov. 26, 2016. While this is an increase of 3.0% over the prior year period, it falls short of the consensus estimate of $411.61 million.   

The Container Store and Southwest Airlines are teaming up to surprise harried holiday travelers passing through airports across the nation.   Starting Thursday, Dec. 22, the partners are easing holiday stress for travelers by offering complimentary gift wrapping. The service is available between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the following 10 airports:   • Chicago (Midway) International Airport • Dallas (Love Field)  • Denver International Airport 

Limited Stores LLC is planning to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection within weeks, Bloomberg reported, and will most likely liquidate its business.  

Luxury brands seems to be going the extra mile this holiday season.   This is according to “2016 Holiday Shipping,” a report from Kurt Salmon, part of Accenture Strategy, that analyzed orders with 84 retailers across a broad range of categories on Black Friday and Cyber Monday 2016. The study analyzed online orders that were shipped to consumers, as well as those collected in-store, to measure shipping speed, accuracy and cost.